The Crimson Sunset
by breaktherules
Summary: A year after Chloe's death, Kirika and Mireille find her memory haunts them both.


Disclaimer: I do not own Noir. This story is set after the series. Please review! *looks longingly at empty inbox...*

**The Crimson Sunset**

The sun had just risen in the skies above Paris as a young Japanese woman set up her easel, her fold-up chair and sat down. She reached into her black bag that was full of art supplies and paintbrushes. After carefully selecting the right brush to start with- she dabbed her brush into the large tray of paints that were resting on her lap.

Humming softly to herself, she started painting- letting her imagination decide on what she would put down on the canvas.

A slight breeze blew through the park and ruffled her bangs. She thought briefly of a kind man who had once sat with her along the waters edge, while they both painted in companionably silence.

He had been her friend. A friend that had been taken from her too soon. If was not for her he would not have died. She still felt guilty about that and always would.

She began to paint.

OOOoooOOO

In a small apartment in France, a beautiful young blond woman turned over in her sleep to hold the woman who shared her bed. As her arms embraced empty air, she realized that her partner was not in bed with her. Her heart began to race and she immediately sat up and looked over at her bedside clock. It was 6:30 am in the morning.

Forcing herself to stay calm, she slid out of bed and shoved her feet into blue velvet slippers and slipped on her silk robe of light blue. She figured that her partner was probably in the bathroom.

She called out her name but received no response, as she walked to the bathroom and discovered that it was empty. She then walked into the kitchen and it was obvious that her partner was not inside the apartment.

_Where in the world could she be?_ The blonde women thought as she noticed that her partner had left her cell phone behind. It rested next to their new computer that was sitting on a billiard table. The blonde woman used the table for a desk, since her apartment was so small and she did not want to get rid of the table because it once belonged to her uncle. Even though it was riddled with bullet holes, she still wanted to keep it.

Calling out her partner's name one last time as she looked for a note, making sure she checked underneath the plant stand, she decided to go and look for her. Sighing she went to take a quick shower and get dressed.

OOOoooOOO

The young Japanese woman was putting the finishing touches on her painting, when she felt a presence come close. Quickly, she turned around, her instincts still as sharp as ever.

She gave a small smile and relaxed when she realized who it was. "Mireille." she began.

Her partner gave her a stern look. "Why didn't you leave me a note letting me know where you were going Kirika? I was very worried about you," the blonde-haired woman said, her arms crossed against her chest.

"I'm sorry Mireille. I just wanted to do some painting," Kirika responded softly. "You're right though, I should have left a note."

Kirika noticed that Mireille's eyes narrowed and her gaze sharpened as she looked over at the picture the Japanese woman had painted.

"Chloe? You painted Chloe?" Mireille gasped; there was an undertone of hurt and jealousy in her voice.

Kirika turned away from Mireille and looked at her painting. The likeness to Chloe was uncanny. From the top of her crimson hair, the dark slanted eyes, and long green cloak-, it looked just like the real life person.

Kirika had just painted on instinct and had not realized until she heard Mireille's shocked reaction that she had painted her old friend. A friend she had killed to save Mireille's life. The friend she cried over, the one that helped her to feel emotions again.

Then she realized something else.

"It's been a year since _that_ day," Kirika replied softly.

Mireille came to stand next to her. "Yes, I haven't forgotten," she replied somberly.

Kirika looked at the blonde woman. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean…." She started as she saw a sad look wash over Mireille's face.

"You don't have to apologize, Kirika. You have done nothing wrong. It's only normal that you would do something like this to honor your friend," the blonde woman replied, looking at her partner lovingly. "I was just surprised."

Kirika's stoic resolve crumbled as Mireille pulled her in to an embrace. Tears rolled down her cheeks and unlike the years she had amnesia, now she could feel the pain and sorrow that caused these tears. "I did do something wrong. I killed Chloe, but she was going to kill you and I could not let that happen. But I only wanted to stop her- not kill her," Kirika cried against the blonde-haired woman's shoulder in a sudden rush of words and tears.

Mireille tightened her grip on her partner. "Shh, it's okay, Kirika, You did what you felt you had to do, I'll never be able to express to you how grateful I am that you saved my life." She said as she planted a kiss on top of the younger woman's head.

Kirika looked up at Mireille with her big brown eyes still full of unshed tears.

"What happened to Chloe's body? Did it lay there to be picked at by animals or did one of the Soldats bury her?" Kirika asked softly.

Mireille smoothed Kirika's unruly hair back. "I'm sure that somebody had the decency to bury her. Breffort wouldn't have left her body on that cold stone slab."

"Yes, I guess you're right," Kirika replied, as she broke out of the blonde-haired woman's embrace and began to gather up her art supplies.

OOOoooOOO

Mireille lay awake in the bed with Kirika nestled against her side. The moonlight shone through the window from a small crack in the curtains and illuminated the painting of Chloe. The blonde woman had not liked the crimson haired girl, but realized that Altena in her sick game had pitted the two women against each other. 'The Daughter of Corsica' and 'The True Noir' were supposed to be enemies and fight to the death. The winner would get to be in the "Grand Retour" and stand by Kirika's side.

Altena had never thought that Kirika would reject the life that the woman had planned for her. She never thought that her killing machine would fall in love with the 'Daughter of Corsica,"

All Altena achieved was pain for the three girls. Chloe had been a victim and paid the ultimate price, as Mireille had by losing her parents and Kirika did by losing her identity and chance for a normal life.

The blonde-haired woman sighed, pulled a sleeping Kirika closer to her, and planted a kiss on her forehead.

She would do anything to ensure her partner's happiness.

OOOoooOOO

The distinguished man was very surprised to see the blonde woman – once half of the assassin team NOIR in his office. He rubbed the carving on his walking cane absently as he studied the woman standing defiantly before him.

"What a pleasure to see you again my dear Miss Bouquet. It must have been quite risky walking here, but you are known for taking risks, aren't you?" Breffort replied, with an amused grin on his face.

Mireille looked at him icily and did not return his grin. "I feel the presence of The Soldats eyes on me every time I leave my apartment," she replied coldly.

"And I fear that you and your 'roommate' will continue to for the rest of your lives, Miss Bouquet. However, I find that a small inconvenience instead of the alternative, don't you?" the older man replied.

"Must you end every statement to me with a question?" Mireille quipped, growing tired of Breffort's threats. "I'm here because Kirika wants to know what happened to Chloe's body. Did you leave her there to rot on that stone slab?" the blonde woman demanded. "Please, tell me because Kirika needs closure and wants to visit Chloe's last resting place."

Breffort looked at Mireille admiringly. He knew that there was no love lost between the deceased girl and Mireille. He knew that she was risking her life by coming to see him, and then- to have to plead to her enemy about her rival's last resting place was had to be humbling for a woman as strong as she was.

"Ah, you remind me so much of your mother, she was a feisty one like you," the old man replied smiling at his memories. "You inherited both her beauty and her fighting spirit. Tell me, how is it that you can stand to be lovers with the girl who killed her?" Breffort taunted.

Mireille gasped at his comments, her hands fisted at her sides, as she fought the urge to pull out her gun. Breffort was the only reason that she was still alive and her only ally amidst the Soldats.

"I can't and will never answer that question. My personal life is my own business," Mireille said, as she stalked over to the desk the old man was sitting at and leaned over towards him, her blue eyes meeting his in an icy stare. "Quit playing games and just tell me what I need to know. I will pay you for the information."

The two stared at each other in a tension-filled silence, until the older man threw back his head and laughed.

"Your lover shot and killed your mother, father, and brother. You and your uncle were exiled because of this girl. Don't you remember the blood on the tiled floor?" Breffort replied, as he opened his desk drawer and pulled out a cigar and lit it, he inhaled deeply before continuing. "Instead of living the life of a rich heiress with her loving parents and brother in a marvelous home, you live in a tiny apartment with your semi-recovered amnesiac girlfriend who ruined your chances for a happy life. Every day you run the risk of being taken out by one of our men or one of Althena's followers. Is it worth it, Mireille?" he asked.

The blonde woman blinked back unshed tears of rage. "There is nothing I can say that will make you understand. I've chosen this path with Kirika and if we die tomorrow, then so be it," she responded.

"You can live a normal life if you will do the one thing the Soldats desire. I promise you a life of luxurious comfort and you will not have to spend your life looking over your shoulder. I care about you and your mother's memory to offer you this chance to reconsider the Soldat's previous offer," Breffort said, grabbing the blonde-haired woman's hand as she tried to turn away.

She looked back at him with her blue eyes blazing. "You want me to kill Kirika because you still consider her too big of a threat. Well, I would rather die beside her than do what the Soldats want. If you wanted us dead, then why didn't you kill us when we defeated Altena for you?" she demanded.

"Because I think you will be an asset to us in the future. Besides I'm rather fond of you Mireille Bouquet, for reasons I will share with you one day," Breffort replied mysteriously.

"My patience is wearing thin. Either tell me where Chloe rests or the Soldats will just lose one of their most distinguished members today," Mireille threatened her hand on her gun.

Breffort sighed. "One day you will come to me. You will realize that you will have no choice but to accept your real destiny."

OOOoooOOO

Kirika stood in front of the unmarked grave and carefully laid a bouquet of red flowers that Chloe had loved on top of her friends supposed final resting place.

"If you are here Chloe, I want you to know that I never meant to kill you. I am sorry, my friend. I'm so sorry…," she whispered as she knelt down and touched the ground, her teardrops falling unto the grave. "I can never atone for your death either.."

OOOoooOOO

In the other part of the graveyard, Mireille stood and looked down at another unmarked grave. She lay down a bouquet of Bella donna lilies as she knelt down.

"I'm sorry, Uncle Claude. I never wanted to kill you, but you were going to kill me, weren't you? I know that you had no choice, that both of our lives have always been beyond our control. Perhaps we'll meet again, be it in heaven or hell," Mireille whispered, a few tears running down her cheeks. "I love you," she said, as she slowly stood up and walked away from the grave.

Breffort had told Mireille that Chloe had left a note that she wanted to be buried near Kirika and Claude wanted to be buried near his niece. It was ironic that both were buried in the same graveyard where Mireille had met the Bella Donna Lily lady and where she had abandoned Kirika after she learned the truth of her her parent's death.

Breffort gladly told Mireille after he was able to get her to double the monetary price she had first offered, telling her to think of it as life insurance. Now Mireille was going to have to find more work and Kirika would have to sell more paintings, but it was worth it.

OOOoooOOO

The two women both walked out of the cemetery at the same time. Mireille saw the look on Kirika's face and gently went over to her and embraced her.

The two women stood holding each other, relishing in the feel of the love they had for each other. Mireille smoothed back Kirika's unruly hair, as the Japanese girl buried her face against the smooth white skin of her lover's neck.

"I love you, Mireyu," Kirika whispered, calling the French woman's name in her native Japanese. "Thank you."

"I'd do anything for you, Kirika Yuumura." Mireille responded gently. "I love you too."

Then the two gently broke apart and holding hands made their way to their apartment. The sunset had turned the sky crimson; it was almost the shade of Chloe's hair.

At least, on this day- they had finally had some closure. Chloe and Claude would always be nearby.

-End-

A/N- As I am blocked on my Death Note story, I decided to write Noir. It's been a while since I've written for this fandom so I hope it didn't suck too badly. Reviews are always appreciated.

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